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Many schools are teaching their students about worm composting and worm farming. Kids are encouraging their parents to set-up worm farms at home. This recycling project is a great one that parents and children can do together. Worm farming is simple to start, easy to maintain and it can be a very gratifying project for all.

Worm farming, unlike outdoor composting, does not require much space or work. The worm bin can easily be kept in a garage, basement or kitchen. The worm bin needs to be stored in a dark place that is between 50°-80°F, and ideally, 72°-75°F.

Worm Farm Composting Bin

To start a worn farm use a large plastic bin with a lid. Drill ¼” holes in the bottom and top of the bin. Worms like it dark, so make sure to use a nontransparent container. There are also commercial worm bins available for sale that are all ready to use.

The next step is to shred newspaper (black and white print only) and fill the worm bin about half way. Dampen the paper and squeeze out any excess water. Add a handful of dirt, a few kitchen scraps, the red wiggler worms (start with a ½ to 1 pound of red wigglers) and cover with another layer of moist shredded newspaper. Don’t use earthworms! The red wigglers are your best worms for composting household scraps. You have just completed your worm farm.

To maintain your worm farm feed the worms every few days. Foods that are not the worms’ favorites and should not be given to them are: citrus, spicy foods, meats and dairy products. By eliminating these foods the worms will be content and will not try to escape the bin. The worm bin should have an earthy smell to it. If there are bad odors emanating from the worm composting bin you may be overfeeding the red wigglers or feeding them unsuitable foods, like meat and dairy which will rot in the bin.

It’s time now to sit back and let the worms do the work. The worm castings will be available in a few months to be used for your plants, gardens and lawns. Then start the whole process over again. Worm farming is not only an interesting project, it is a fun project that the whole family can enjoy.